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In big concession, militia agrees to let Iraqi troops into Sadr City
McClatchy Newspapers ^ | Friday, May 9, 2008 | Leila Fadel

Posted on 05/09/2008 9:20:49 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach

BAGHDAD — Followers of rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr agreed late Friday to allow Iraqi security forces to enter all of Baghdad's Sadr City and to arrest anyone found with heavy weapons in a surprising capitulation that seemed likely to be hailed as a major victory for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki.

In return, Sadr's Mahdi Army supporters won the Iraqi government's agreement not to arrest Mahdi Army members without warrants, unless they were in possession of "medium and heavy weaponry."

The agreement would end six weeks of fighting in the vast Shiite Muslim area that's home to more than 2 million residents and would mark the first time that the area would be under government control since Saddam Hussein was toppled in 2003. On Friday, 15 people were killed and 112 were injured in fighting, officials at the neighborhoods two major hospitals said.

It also would be a startling turnaround in fortunes for Maliki, who'd been widely criticized for picking a fight with Sadr's forces, first in the southern port city of Basra and then in Sadr City.

Members of Maliki's Dawa Party and the powerful Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq met with Sadr officials on Thursday and Friday to come up with a 14-point agreement to end the weeks of fighting, which has hindered the flow of food and water into Sadr City. The agreement was then passed to Sadr and Maliki for final approval, said Baha al Araji, a Sadrist legislator.

(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: iraq; sadr; sadrcity
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Well...what is going on with this?
1 posted on 05/09/2008 9:20:52 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
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To: NormsRevenge; elhombrelibre; Allegra; SandRat; tobyhill; G8 Diplomat; Dog; Cap Huff; ...

Late news ping!


2 posted on 05/09/2008 9:22:02 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

BUMP


3 posted on 05/09/2008 9:23:59 PM PDT by maine-iac7 (Typical Gun-Toting, Jesus-Loving Gramma)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Killing about a thousand of the Mahdi bastards seems to have awaken the rest that they were about to become toast.

Ah shucks. It would have been fun to see the bastards boxed in Sadr City and blown to bits, one building at a time.

Maybe next time. Paybacks a bitch, isn’t it Mookie?


4 posted on 05/09/2008 9:24:10 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
The militias are sustaining heavy loses. The daily toll is taking it's toll.

Again, these monkeys respect brute force.

5 posted on 05/09/2008 9:24:41 PM PDT by stravinskyrules (Why is it that whenever I hear a piece of music I don't like, it's always by Villa-Lobos?)
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To: All

Lots of spin in the article....


6 posted on 05/09/2008 9:24:48 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
"Well...what is going on with this?"

What "isn't" going on is that they haven't eliminated this Muqtada al Sadr character and his militia. As long as they let him and people like him call the shots, Iraq will never be stable.

7 posted on 05/09/2008 9:25:16 PM PDT by davisfh ( Islam is a serious mental illness)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Strange use of the word “agreed”.....

Sadr’s “militia” didn’t have much choice!

The coalition forces kicked their freaking asses every time they dismounted from their goats — and moved in with force.

Now that the coalition forces are in fact in Sadr City -— the impotence of the glorious martyrdom seeking “militia” is exposed....


8 posted on 05/09/2008 9:35:55 PM PDT by river rat (Semper Fi - You may turn the other cheek, but I prefer to look into my enemy's vacant dead eyes.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
concession or surrender?
9 posted on 05/09/2008 9:36:33 PM PDT by oldbrowser (Few things are more dangerous than articulate superficiality.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Sadr and his militia and ALL who stand with them must be destroyed..

The ONLY times they stand down - is when they fear defeat.

They should be DEFEATED.....TOTALLY...... DESTROYED.

We have neither the time, treasure or blood to play their silly Muslim games....for another century or two.

KILL THEM... or LEAVE the Iraqi to their own devices and fate.


10 posted on 05/09/2008 9:40:02 PM PDT by river rat (Semper Fi - You may turn the other cheek, but I prefer to look into my enemy's vacant dead eyes.)
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To: oldbrowser

It’s probably just a stalling tactic...


11 posted on 05/09/2008 9:43:53 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
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To: MadMax, the Grinning Reaper

“Maybe next time.”

Probably “next time” isn’t all that far down the road. These asshats have a tendency to use such negotiations to rearm and rebuild their armies.


12 posted on 05/09/2008 9:54:04 PM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists...call 'em what you will...They ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Agreed. Another cease fire to let them regroup.


13 posted on 05/09/2008 9:55:48 PM PDT by Jet Jaguar (Who would the terrorists vote for?)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
A government supporter said the Sadrists were brought to the table by the anger of Sadr City residents. On Thursday, the Iraqi military ordered Sadr City residents to evacuate in apparent preparation for a major offensive push.

"It is not the government who pressured the Sadrists into entering this agreement," said Ali al Adeeb, a leading member of the Dawa party. "It is the pressure from the people inside Sadr City and from their own people that will make them act more responsibly."

14 posted on 05/09/2008 9:57:57 PM PDT by rawhide
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Fred Nerks; george76; ...
Followers of rebel cleric Muqtada al Sadr agreed late Friday to allow Iraqi security forces to enter all of Baghdad's Sadr City and to arrest anyone found with heavy weapons in a surprising capitulation that seemed likely to be hailed as a major victory for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki. In return, Sadr's Mahdi Army supporters won the Iraqi government's agreement not to arrest Mahdi Army members without warrants, unless they were in possession of "medium and heavy weaponry."
"What? That recoilless rocket launcher on the ground over there? No, I have no idea whose that is. I also don't know why you found huge stockpiles of automatic weapons ammo in my shed. I haven't used that shed since before the fall of Saddam." Etc. Thanks Ernest.
15 posted on 05/09/2008 10:02:51 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/_______________________Profile updated Monday, April 28, 2008)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

This event marks Iran’s total defeat in Iraq. On to Mosul for Syria’s. Long live Iraq!


16 posted on 05/09/2008 10:05:51 PM PDT by Blue State Insurgent (Operation Chaos dupes are drinking OxyContin Kool-Aid.)
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To: river rat

Excellent post!


17 posted on 05/09/2008 10:07:28 PM PDT by processing please hold ( "It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.")
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Let? They were coming in one way or another … LET! Please, they knew that the hammer was about to fall and they Sadr’ed out. Cowards. Typical of Mohammad’s troopers.


18 posted on 05/09/2008 10:10:02 PM PDT by doc1019 (Obama: "I Will Raise Taxes.")
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I hope its not an ambush.

Just guessing, but I think they just need a time-out to rearm/resupply.


19 posted on 05/09/2008 10:12:52 PM PDT by Fichori (FreeRepublic.com: Watch your step!)
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To: Blue State Insurgent
This event marks Iran’s total defeat in Iraq. On to Mosul for Syria’s. Long live Iraq!

Now they need to weed out some of those clerics who are stirring up the masses.

20 posted on 05/09/2008 10:14:31 PM PDT by oldbrowser (Few things are more dangerous than articulate superficiality.)
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